Players won't be able to spit on the ball to shine it or get umpires to hold their kit when the domestic first-class cricket programme starts in just over a week.
NZ Cricket confirmed they've adopted the majority of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) COVID-19 regulations which have been in play during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
"These measures will be overseen by the match referee and match officials, and have already been successfully piloted in pre-season warm-up fixtures between domestic men's sides," says NZ Cricket head of cricket operations Richard Brewer.
"This means New Zealand domestic players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball, and umpires will no longer hold the players' caps or other items of clothing."
Another new rule for the domestic season - which begins with the Plunket Shield on October 19 - will allow for the replacement of players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a match, with the option for the player to return to the game should they return a negative test.
New Zealand will be desperate to keep coronavirus at bay after the Ministry of Health revealed on Wednesday that there are no active community coronavirus cases left in the country.
There are now just 37 active cases left in the country - all of which are imported.
Coronavirus, spread via respiratory droplets and saliva, has impacted the way cricketers can shine the ball and has been a challenge.
Shining one side of the cricket ball helps bowlers produce movement as the ball travels through the air - a phenomenon commonly referred to as swing.
As a result, players have started using back sweat to generate swing, while Australian manufacturer Kookaburra is developing a wax applicator which could be used in the future.
In July, Dom Bess accidentally used saliva to polish the ball during a test against the West Indies and umpires had to disinfect the ball with wipes before the match could continue.
Other than the six players competing in the Indian Premier League, all of NZ Cricket's contracted Blackcaps will turn out for their domestic teams for the opening rounds of the Plunket Shield.
